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It isn't a consumer product - prettiness has nothing to do with usability. This is an extreme power user environment where discoverability and aesthetics take a

It isn't a consumer product - prettiness has nothing to do with usability. This is an extreme power user environment where discoverability and aesthetics take a back seat to consistency and reliability. Think of it less like a computer program and more like the cockpit of an airplane. It needs to be powerful, it can require training before use, it needs to be consistent, it needs to be fault-tolerant and mistake-tolerant, and it doesn't need to look good.

joshstrange 14y ago
I get that, I would have just thought even with a product optimized for the traits you mention would be a little more advance. That said I realize I am making a snap judgement here from a single screenshot of the software which is probably not entirely fair of me. I was simply under the impression that the tools traders used were a little more advanced looking I guess.
- drucken 14y ago
  Do not let the user interface fool you. Bloomberg is about as "advanced" a trading information system as you can get. Its main competitor, Reuters, is also no better looking and often used simultaneously. Together they sew up most of the trading information market, 60%+. A trader will also have a third application/screen for trade input into their firms systems. Bloomberg terminal was designed for non-computer users back in the 80s and the whole physical layout, especially the Bloomberg keyboard, is a part of the design. The emphasis is on speed of access by keyboard, consistency, information liveliness and responsiveness. It also means, that Bloomberg can iterate to add functionality to the core of the application (which is not the UI itself), a hell of a lot faster than new competitors.
  - joshstrange 14y ago
    Thank you for this, I really enjoy learning about the inner working of other industries. Thank you for correcting my ignorance.

joshstrange 14y ago

I get that, I would have just thought even with a product optimized for the traits you mention would be a little more advance. That said I realize I am making a snap judgement here from a single screenshot of the software which is probably not entirely fair of me. I was simply under the impression that the tools traders used were a little more advanced looking I guess.

drucken 14y ago
Do not let the user interface fool you. Bloomberg is about as "advanced" a trading information system as you can get. Its main competitor, Reuters, is also no better looking and often used simultaneously. Together they sew up most of the trading information market, 60%+. A trader will also have a third application/screen for trade input into their firms systems. Bloomberg terminal was designed for non-computer users back in the 80s and the whole physical layout, especially the Bloomberg keyboard, is a part of the design. The emphasis is on speed of access by keyboard, consistency, information liveliness and responsiveness. It also means, that Bloomberg can iterate to add functionality to the core of the application (which is not the UI itself), a hell of a lot faster than new competitors.
- joshstrange 14y ago
  Thank you for this, I really enjoy learning about the inner working of other industries. Thank you for correcting my ignorance.